Kathy, I have one canner that holds 7 quarts and a pressure canner that holds 7 quarts or 9 pints. Neither is tall enough to stack jars.

My largest cooking pot is an 8 1/2 quart Calphalon pan. I don't cook outside and I don't have an assembly line. I have time alone, in my kitchen. Many, many hours of it, LOL, and since I usually work a 10 or 12 hour day, I either can at night until 2 or 3 am or I take a vacation day to can. If I take a vacation day I get up in the morning, start canning and can until midnight or so. On a good day I can get 15 or 16 hours worth of canning done.

Plus, it helps to multi-task. Saturday I started my electric roaster full of roasted bones for beef stock, and baked a birthday cake for Sunday. I put the stock in the fridge so that the fat could congeal and boiled the syrup for the pickles on the counter. Yesterday I went to the farm. I cleaned the chicken coop and the duck pen and replaced a couple of fence posts, picked half a bushel of tomatoes and a 5 gallon bucket of corn, plus a few assorted cucumbers and zucchini, beets and turnips. I went home, put the stock on to boil and started cleaning corn. When the stock boiled I jarred it up and put it into the pressure canner, cut the corn from the cobs and put together Readinglady's Southwestern corn relish. By the time the stock was done, I started the BWB for the corn relish. I started at 5:30 and finished somewhere around 11 pm. Tonight I'll get home at 6 or 7 pm and I have chicken stock in the roaster right now while I'm working. I'll do a batch of salsa while the stock cools so I can remove the fat. Then the chicken stock will go in the canner and I hope to finish by 1 am.

Sometimes Amanda and the Monkey Princess come to help, along with Bruvver, but then it takes me longer. LOL

Annie

Multi tasking is right. Many times I also macerate jams in the refrig overnight, that way I do many kinds in one day.

Tonight, I have corn to freeze the neighbor picked today, while that is going I'll start the WBW canner, run the dishwasher for the jars for the 9 day pickles that are ready for tonight and have the brine already for Polish Dills because it is the last day for de salting the cukes.
the Red cabbage gets salted for processing tommorrow.

That will enough for one night, may have to run to Staples for the kid for some school supplies tonight.

But Annie's a NUT!! (grin).

I don't keep the late hours simply because I start making mistakes! I'm worthless after about 9 or 9:30.

I DO take vacation days from my "real job"!
I DO split up the steps (i.e. chop veggies for salsa one night, refrigerate, then heat & can the next night).
I DO multi-task.
I DO plan ahead; dinner is cooked the day before so we can microwave leftovers when I'm canning.
I DO can with my mom...sometimes. The two of us kick B _ _ T!! Most of the time it's just me.
I DO have an extremely supportive, self-sufficient, patient husband, and I thank God for that every day!!!

Deanna

Aha! I'm pretty good at multi-tasking too, but I think the most I've managed in one day is 20 pints of something, but I did get things going the day before. My "BWB" canner will hold 12 half pints at one time, and prob 9 or 10 pints. Jellies & jams are good, but just never did a "50 half pint batch" before.

Unfortunately, I don't really have any "willing" canning buddies. DH helps if I ask, but it's not something on the top of his list. LOL!

Yes, I agree too Deanna, Annie is superhuman! :-) Annie, do you have 2 stovetops? I can barely fit my 23 qt Presto, my heating lids, and pot of whatever I'm going to can at one time.

How was that Southwestern Corn Relish BTW? That's on my list to try...

If you get a small crockpot you can heat the lids in it. Put hot water in to start with and add lids. Will free up a burner that way.

Linda Lou, that's a great idea!

Kathy, I'm not superhuman, I just have a really high energy level. LOL C'mon, you've met me, you know I'm just bouncing off the walls most of the time. Oh, and remind me to tell you the story about taking the ducks down to the Amish for slaughter, you'd appreciate it a lot. (grin)

I have a single gas stove and my canner, along with a a small pan with lids and my calphalon pot of whatever is cooking is all that fits on the stove. My stock is usually simmering in an electric roaster, like right now, I can put that on the floor or the table.

I just focus, I don't take a break and I get done whatever I need to get done. I'm never standing and watching the canner, I'm always doing something to get started on the next batch or finish up the one I have going.

Annie

We are weird I guess - even though there is two of us who do it together. We don't do BIG batches, instead we do multiple batches one after another.

BIG batches of things (isn't recommended anyway for jams and jellies because they don't set well) are prone to mistakes in measuring and leaving things out or putting too much in of something or jars cooling on the counter waiting to be processed, etc.

But we do run out multiple batches in a sort of cycle so I guess you could call it multi-tasking. ;) We have 2 big pressure canners and 2 BWB and and several large stockpots and we do work outside with 2 propane burners now and inside both.

We choose low-acid or high acid recipe days so we are working with PB OR BWB, use the dishwasher for jars and lids, never sterilize jars since we always process for at least 10 mins., and play old jazz on the radio while working for rhythm. ;)

I will tell you that it gets much easier with time and practice and that doing any prep that you can ahead of time - chopping veggies, macerating fruit, peeling, etc. really helps. eg: you can make a lot of salsa batches if you already have all your peppers and onions and tomatoes chopped, measured and frozen in the freezer. ;)

Dave

- 32 quart stock pot
- Victorio food strainer
- 30 quart pressure canner holding 19 pints or 14 quarts
- Preparation, planning, patience
- A helpful wife!

TonNJ

Was really glad to see this post as just last week I was wondering the same thing. I'm fairly new to canning, only done tomatoes and strawberry jam in the past, and freezing which doesn't really count. So after discovering this forum and having a pretty good size garden this year(that's another story)I decided to do peaches. And this is how it went:
Start BWB,start another pot to do rings and lids, sterilize jars,(find the right ones first) make fresh fruit bath for peaches, start another pot to blanch peaches(pour a glass of wine, hey I'm having fun now) disinfect sink, put ice and cold water to cool peaches (thinking I have a new 48 inch stove, how do you do this on a regular stove) okay now blanch peaches, first batch can't cut them and get the pit out without destroying them and definetly won't get 'halves' looks more like mush. no problem I'll put them in the fridge and do a cobbler tommrrow. Second batch. I decide to cut them into halve first, then blanch and peel, cool come out looking great (where did I put that glass of wine?)oh forgot to make syrup, get that going . BWB is getting low add some more water. Okay I think I'm ready to put into hot jars, but I think I'm doing a combo of a raw pack and a hot pack (if I have to I'll just put them into the fridge with all the other things I'm not sure of, still can't find the glass of wine, did I pour one?) put peaches in jars, pour hot syrup, check for bubbles, wipe rims, put on rings,(am I forgetting anything?)put jars into BWB set timer, pour another glass of wine and wait. Bingo timer goes off pull out jars, set on counter and hubby says 6 quarts? 5 hrs. How much per quart? I figure somewhere time included $26.00 per quart! But I sure did have fun!

Cool Beans! Now I know what to do with that small crock pot I have in my shed that I rarely use - heat my lids!! Thanks Linda Lou!

Annie, you are bouncing off the walls, but we luv ya for it! I have a lot of energy, but not like that!! You must not require a lot of sleep! How do you keep your feet and back from getting real tired on those long days and nights? Sometimes that does me in....

Good idea Dave, about chopping all those foods ahead of time, chopped, measured and frozen in the freezer, for salsa. That always seems to take sooo long! That will be my new mantra!!

Keep the ideas and hints coming!

June Lynn

Big batches or marathons, it all makes one more thing to check off on the list of "providing". Don't we all love the good feeling of "putting food by" whether it's cilantro in the freezer for Annie's salsa or using the crockpot to make chili sauce while you slice cucs for Nebraska Sweet Dills? (yum)

My close friend Deb and I have canned the popular and famous Annie's Salsa for three years running. When the toms are ready, the call is made..."it's salsa time"! My large 23 qt canner was hit or miss last year but so far this year has been right on and it is no problem to pressure up 18 pints at a time. (Ah, except for the hours of chopping prior to) I think I even prefer PC to BWB-this year anyway. I grow a lot of cilantro early and then late to chop and freeze in anticipation of salsa time. Nothing like spending $7 on a 1/4 pound of hardy sow bolt cilantro.

:) Happy multitasking/big batching!
Sue

We have two gas stoves, two sinks and four of us doing the work. When we do nectarines, applesauce, shelled beans, corn, it's an all day and into the night job. I always dread it but glad to have it done! I usually do other things in small batches.

VG

well, when I do big batches of something I just go all day. I get organized the night before, have 2 BWB canners, and have the kids and my husband pitch in. On peaches day I do 160 lbs. in one day which equals about 80 quarts. My best tip for doing huge batches of anything that involves syrup is I tinfoil my entire stove top and even a few inches onto each side of the counter. With two canners going and another element simmering with syrup it can be very sticky by the end of a 13 hour day!
I did 75 pints of salsa which was completely breezy because I had pre-chopped and frozen everything but the tomatoes. That was actually a short day.
I do tons of jam but just one small batch at a time. I really love canning the small batch stuff like chutney, jams and jellies. The big huge days of canning is work for me, less enjoyment, but all the pleasure of eating it all winter.

I do pickled beets with my neighbor. This year we did 60 pints of beets over 2 evenings, after our day jobs.

Salsa is a party. I have a few friends come and pitch in, and we'll spend an entire Saturday on it. We yield about 30 jars each (and finish a few bottles of wine in the process). :-)

The rest I do on my own, when I can fit it in. We have to have peaches in syrup, dilly beans, and sliced dills every year.

If I still have energy, I'll fit in other smaller batch foods when I have time... tomato sauce, applesauce, apple butter, roasted red pepper spread, peach salsa, etc.

June Lynn, I've slept 5 hours a night since I was a little girl, that's apparently all I need.

My back does complain at me sometimes, mostly because I'm 5'1" and lifting canners onto and off the stove is sometimes a struggle. I stand on a chair to put jars into and take them out of the canner, LOL. I messed up my knees when I was a teenager, my barrel horse lost her footing and fell on me, so once in a while they complain too.

Realy big batches of stuff, like tomatoes or beans, I try to get help. Elery will snap beans while I can them, and Amanda helps with tomatoes, just having someone to peel while I jar them up and process them helps.

Jam and jelly gets made in the winter from frozen fruit a lot of the time. It's so much nicer to stand over a jam pot in January than it is in August.

Annie

As much as I like being barefoot, I have discovered that wearing Croc type shoes while canning helps the back and legs!! Lots of cushion, but still have plenty of air flow to keep feet cool.

My daughter gave me her mini crockpot and I didn't have a clue what I was going to do with it other than keep some dip warm or something.
Now I know!!! Thanks for the tip.
It will help because my small burner I use for lids is behind where I put the canner!!! It's always been a pain to reach the lids with the hot canner sitting there.

Deanna

So if I am understanding this all correctly, I can freeze the fruit and veggies that I have prepared for making into salsa, jams, spreads and soups. Items like 1/2 peaches, where the texture and appearance are important, should not be frozen? I spent hours cutting, removing seeds and chopping this weekend and was bushed! I like the idea of preparing in advance...come home during the week, spend a bit of time cutting, chopping and freezing, then can on the weekend.

It is like a big light bulb just went off in my head..
Thanks again for teaching us newbies,
Teri

Holy crow you people are busy!

Linda Lou, now I can finally use that little crock pot I've had shoved in storage for the past five years! Now if I could only find it. LOL!

Deanna, you're right about the crocs, plus it wigs me out to step on stuff in my barefeet in the kitchen. Not to metion, shoes will save your feet from an occasional spatter of molten hot jam. THAT HURTS! Ever do the hot jam dance? :-)

Angela, I did peaches in syrup once! Once! I decided that unless I have a peach tree or access to bushels of fresh peaches at killer prices, it's not worth it for me. They were good though....

Teri, yes soft fruits, such as berries are fine for freezing and canning later. I usually don't freeze my salsa ingredients because I can tell a difference in freshness, just my preference. Yes, peaches in syrup will do better if you prepare them when they're fresh, but if you're doing jam, chutney, pie filling, or even peach salsa where appearance isn't a big thing, freeze away!

I have a freezer filled with strawberries, cherries, and figs. YUM! Now about those Florida "winters"...hmmmmm.